Friday, June 25, 2004

Labor and chamber join forces in Hailey

New public office on Main Street shared

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By MATT FURBER
Express Staff Writer

The Idaho Department of Commerce and the Hailey Visitors Center joined forces for a ribbon cutting at their new joint office in Hailey this week.

Hailey Chamber of Commerce President Jim Spinelli, center, and State Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, joined Department of Commerce and Labor Director Roger Madsen for the grand opening of the first joint office of a Job Service office and a chamber of commerce in the state. Express photo by Willy Cook

The idea was to combine forces and mutual support since the two offices have some common goals, said Hailey Chamber Director Tom Smith.

The Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor and the Hailey Visitors Center will share the newly renovated space at 513 North Main St. in Hailey on the corner of Myrtle in an experiment that will be expanded throughout the state, Smith said.

The event featured the Director of Commerce and Labor for the State of Idaho, Richard Madsen, who was also in the Wood River Valley for an Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry conference at the Sun Valley Lodge that focused on the future of Idaho’s workforce.

Amy Hoolahan, manager of the Job Service office and Smith hosted the event.

Smith said the combination of forces is synergistic because tourists and people looking to relocate to the Wood River Valley come into the visitor’s center. In fact the future of work in the area could have much to do with tourism.

The Job Service office is available to help link people looking for work to opportunities at St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center, Power Engineers and the Blaine County School District as well as with other, smaller employers in the Wood River Valley. The office resource center offers help with résumés and has a fax machine, a copy machine, and résumé paper and envelopes.

Hailey Chamber of Commerce President Jim Spinelli and State Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, wielded the scissors at official ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday.

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